The AutoRuns Windows utility is a more useful alternative to previously-mentioned msconfig which shows what programs and services are set to start automatically with Windows.

You might be surprised at how many programs set themselves to start when you log onto your computer (or how many services do so by default within Windows) which can slow down your computer considerably by wasting memory and CPU cycles. You can go to the Start menu, choose "Run" and typing msconfig, but this built-in listing is not easy to understand if you're not into DLL's and INI's. AutoRuns displays startup programs including browser add-ons and File Explorer add-ons (which msconfig does not) in an easier to understand interface with program names and descriptions in English. Download and unzip AutoRuns, then double-click on Autoruns.exe to clean up unwanted items from your startup. AutoRuns is free, all versions of Windows only. Thanks, Denise!